The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life ...

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Notices were widely distributed advertising the choral, string
quartet, acting, playwriting and composition competitions. The
composition competition was in two parts, with awards for orchestral
writing and awards for choral writing.
Notice of this composition competition reached Lilburn in London.
Three works he had already composed whilst at the Royal College of Music
fitted the requirements of the competition.
Lilburn entered all three.
The first of these works, Drysdale Overture (dedicated to his
father Robert Lilburn and the farm Lilburn spent his early years on), was
written in Lilburn's first term at the Royal College.
On the recommendation
of Vaughan Williams, it had been given a first performance in a
rehearsal by the College's First Orchestra.
Festival Overture and Prodigal Country were written in the
following year of 1939.
The latter work was composed during the summer
holidays (8 August to 7 September) 13 and uses texts by the New Zealand
poets Allen Curnow (New Zealand City)and Robyn Hyde (Journey from England),
as well as Walt Whitman's Song of Myself (No.2 I). As Robyn Hyde was
present in London at this time, Lilburn collaborated with her in the
preparation of the text.· The appeal to Lilburn of Hyde's text lay in
the recurrent theme of exile from one's native land:
"I too am sold into strangeness
'let in my heart can only dissolve, reform, 14
The circling shapes of New Zealand things."
The year 1939 also saw the composition of two sonatas for piano:
the [Sonata in A minor] and the Sonata for Pianoforte No.2 in F-sharp
• 15
m~nor.
During the 'phony war'of 1939 Lilburn continued his studies at
the Royal College; however, he was beginning to feel restless for his
home country.
For the first two months of World War II, virtually all
cultural activities in London ceased •.. Then, suddenly,· the need for
continuing such activities impinged upon the national consciousness.
Music (and all art-forms) flourished.
of the common German threat.
The people were united in the face
About this time, Lilburn heard of plans to celebrate the New
Zealand Centenary in London.
This was to take the form of a concert
13 As dated in the autograph manuscript score of Prodigal Country.
14 Extract from text to Prodigal Country, ibid.
\5 Autograph manuscripts housed at Alexander Turnbull Library.